NEW DELHI: The heated exchange between Jasprit Bumrah and Sam Konstas on the first day of the fifth Test at the SCG became a big talking point in the cricketing circles on Friday.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who stood down from the match owing to poor form, spoke on the issue and slammed the young Aussie opener for his conduct on the field, stating that unnecessary banter is unbecoming of players.
“Our boys, till they’re calm, will remain calm. If you keep poking them, not everyone is going to remain calm. Cricket khelo, yeh faaltu ke cheeze, bol bachchan karna, shobha nahi dete (Play cricket and these meaningless stuff and unnecessary banter doesn’t suit you.) Our boys are classy. We focus on what our job is and work towards it,” said Rohit while speaking to Star Sports.
Speaking on Channel 7, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also criticised Konstas for his altercation with Bumrah.
“One guy you don’t want to upset is Jasprit Bumrah. The way he’s bowled and the fact he has got Khawaja out five times in the series. I didn’t like Konstas getting involved. That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah.”
The incident occurred when Australian opener Usman Khawaja delayed Bumrah’s delivery, signaling that he wasn’t ready to take strike just as Bumrah began his run-up. Adding to the tension, Konstas intervened, gesturing at Bumrah to stop.
“What’s the problem?” Bumrah was heard asking Konstas as the two players approached each other in a confrontational manner. The on-field umpire quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation and separated the two.
Bumrah, however, had the final word moments later. On the very next delivery, he dismissed Khawaja with a full-length ball that induced an outside edge, neatly taken by KL Rahul in the slips.
Rather than celebrating the wicket, Bumrah turned to Konstas and delivered an icy death stare, adding another layer of intensity to the SCG showdown.
